


Not Always

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Dominatrix, Episode Related, F/M, Gen, Talk of BDSM
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 06:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2612360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're awfully defensive of all of this," Jo commented, leaning back in her chair. "Her, the sadomasochism, everything."</p><p>Henry and Jo have the subsequent conversation after Jo found him in Iona's home. Episode related.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Always

**Author's Note:**

> I wish they would have had a conversation like this in the show for some awkward, adorable Henry/Jo time, but alas, I wrote it instead.
> 
> I do not own _Forever_. Thanks for reading!

Henry caught Jo's gaze out of the corner of his eye; the latter looked away while Henry raised hie eyebrows in response. He knew what she was thinking. He knew what she was thinking about, knew that she didn't want to know, but at the same time, she _desperately_ wanted to know.

When he caught her looking at him again, looking for all the world of a detective about to break a case but with not quite enough evidence for her benefit, Henry put down his papers.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly, raising his eyebrows again.

Jo huffed. "No."

"Oh, come now, you've been staring at me from the corner of your eye since we got back, you're hardly subtle."

Jo held up her hands. "It's none of my business-"

"You are not going to believe anything I say about that, are you?" Henry asked in good nature. He knew that Jo had the wrong impression, walking in to him in handcuffs on a spreader bar. It was pretty hard to _not_ get a wrong impression from that, but she wouldn't take his explanation as the truth. (Not that he'd believe himself, either, actually.)

Jo narrowed her eyes. "No. Would you?" She sat up slightly. "You went back on your own accord, no one asked you to."

"I was curious about the electrocution, that's _all_. It was purely for scientific purposes," Henry replied.

"You're awfully defensive of all of this," Jo commented, leaning back in her chair. Her paperwork was forgotten. "Her, the sadomasochism, everything."

"Everyone gets their pleasure from a different way," Henry said. "It doesn't have to be what society deems normal. Sometimes, people have such inner pain that they're hiding from, that only the pain administered by a whip or electric shock can remind them that they're alive... mortal," he added.

Jo raised her eyebrows.

Henry sighed theatrically. "Should I say that I've never been to a dominatrix my _entire_ life?"

"Hey, not judging."

"But you are," Henry said contemplatively. "You're wondering why. You can't understand it."

Jo opened her mouth to retort and then closed it. She sighed. "That doesn't mean I'm judging it. A mile in their shoes, right?"

"Exactly!" Henry pointed. "A mile in their shoes. So, I determined that it would helpful to the cause if I went to her home-"

"And underwent a session?"

Henry shrugged. "That part was unintended, but... I couldn't really back out once I was handcuffed. That would be bad manners." He smiled charmingly.

Jo rolled her eyes. "So, you'd willingly let a stranger take a whip to you for sexual pleasure?"

"I like to be open to new things. I'll try everything once." Mostly because he lived forever, and not trying everything at least once would make for a boring eternity, but he couldn't say that out loud.

"Huh." Jo blew out a breath.

"The world of sexual gratification is a vast one," Henry said cheerfully. "Pleasure can be obtained from a wide amount of stimuli, whether it's exhibitionism, bondage, or even potentionally risk aware activities such as asphyxiation. Some people even engage in what society calls ‘taboo’ acts, semi-consensual or non-consensual simulations-"

"Henry, stop talking!" Jo interrupted.

Henry tilted his head slightly. "What?"

"This conversation just got really personal, _really_ fast. No, sorry, thanks, but it's not my business."

Henry started. "No! I haven't- I mean-"

Jo shook her head. "Forget I asked."

"Detective, if you think I've-"

"I don't care," Jo interrupted. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Henry huffed through his nose as Jo grabbed her paperwork and returned to it with a feverish abandon. _No_ , he _hadn't_ , thank you; he just had a lot of time on his hands to study on various subsets with the sex world. Well, except the one time he had- well, for another time.

"Changing things once in awhile is paramount to a healthy relationship," he said aloud, "but I have to admit that the average way that most people picture intercourse is fine by me, too." He almost was saying that out of spite, just to get in her head, given her uncomfortableness about the whole conversation now. It was a little childish, he recognized, but he said it, anyway.

Jo shook her head slightly. "Yep, this got way too personal. Let's just forget we ever had this conversation."

Henry smirked to himself, reaching for his papers. "Forget the position you found me in, too, perhaps?"

"Yeah, trust me, I'm trying," Jo said seriously.

Henry couldn't help but laugh to himself. He hid his laughter behind the report he was filing and Jo studiously did not broach the topic of sexual exploration again.

 


End file.
